Ruba Qashu advises public companies, boards of directors, broker-dealers, and institutional investors on capital formation, securities regulation, and complex capital markets transactions. Her practice focuses on helping companies access the public markets, raise capital, and navigate the disclosure, governance, and regulatory issues that arise throughout the public company lifecycle.
Clients turn to Ruba to lead and structure capital markets transactions where legal precision and practical market judgment are critical. She advises on registered offerings, ATM programs, PIPE transactions, rights offerings, and Regulation A offerings, guiding companies through the structuring, regulatory considerations, and execution of financing transactions while helping preserve market credibility and investor confidence.
In addition to transactional work, Ruba counsels boards of directors and senior executives on SEC disclosure obligations, exchange compliance, corporate governance matters, and shareholder and control issues that arise in the public company environment. Her practice reflects a practical understanding of how capital markets transactions unfold, including the regulatory, exchange, and investor considerations that influence how transactions are received in the market.
Ruba advises companies listed on Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange and quoted on the OTC Markets as well as emerging growth companies preparing to access the public markets.
Education & Credentials
Education
University of California, Berkeley
B.A., English Literature, 1994University of California College of Law, San Francisco
J.D., 1998Bar Admission
Prominent Assignments
Capital Markets and Securities
- Represented a Nasdaq-listed beverage and snack company in a multi-step recapitalization involving a rights offering, PIPE financing, and senior secured convertible notes, including an exchange uplisting and debt restructuring.
- Represented a Nasdaq-listed restaurant platform in acquisitions and capital-raising transactions, including multiple rights offerings, convertible debentures, and warrant financings.
- Advised a Nasdaq-listed issuer in a reverse merger and spin-off, including refinancing, private placements, and related PIPE transactions for a Nasdaq listing.
- Represented a SPAC target in a business combination, including merger agreement negotiation, PIPE financing, and stock-exchange listing and governance matters.
- Advised placement agents on ATM equity programs, rights offerings, and follow-on equity offerings for Nasdaq- and NYSE-listed issuers, including regulatory compliance under FINRA and Regulation M.
- Represented issuers and investors in early-stage and bridge financings using SAFEs, convertible notes, and preferred equity rounds.
- Served as special capital-markets counsel to a Nasdaq-listed clinical-stage biotech company on a rights offering and strategic alternatives.
- Ongoing counsel to public companies on Exchange Act reporting, proxy statements, equity compensation plans, Section 16 compliance, Rule 144 issues, and stock-exchange listing standards.
Fund Formation
- Advised sponsor groups on forming private equity and hedge funds, including fund structuring, offering documents, subscription materials, and investment advisory agreements.
Corporate Governance & Public Company Advisory
- Advised boards and committees of public companies on fiduciary duties, conflicted-party transactions, proxy statement disclosure, and shareholder approvals.
- Assisted issuers and insiders with Section 16 reporting, Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, disclosure controls, risk-factor enhancements, and related-party transaction policies.
Corporate Transactions
- Represented founders, investors, and growth-stage companies in entity formation, capitalization, governance, and venture- or private-equity financings.
- Advised buyers and sellers on stock and asset acquisitions, mergers, and divestitures across industries from LOI to closing.
Broker-Dealer and Intermediary Representation
- Advised broker-dealers, placement agents, and crowdfunding platforms on FINRA and SEC compliance, public and private offerings, Regulation M, and other capital-raising matters.
Community Involvement
- Cloudastructure, Inc., Director, member of the Audit, Governance, and Compensation Committees, 2023 – present
- Hydro Hash, Inc., Director, member of the Governance and Compensation Committees, 2023 – present
- Volunteer at Equine Holistic Healing Ranch, 2022 – present
Publications/Presentations
- Quoted in “SEC Foreign Firm Suspension Blitz Spurs Monthslong Trading Halts,” Bloomberg Law, February 25, 2026.
- Author, “The New Capital Markets Clock: Why ‘Shelf-Ready’ Is an Operating Discipline,” January 26, 2026.
- Author, “Beyond the Shortcut: How to Make Reverse Mergers Work Under Nasdaq’s Modern Rules,” November 13, 2025.\
- Author, “Corporate Crypto Exposure Has Quietly Become Practical,” October 29, 2025
- Author, “The SEC Created a Cross-Border Task Force: What Public Companies Need to Know,” October 2025.\Author, “SEC Shifts Policy on Issuer-Investor Arbitration: What’s Next?” October 14, 2025.
- Panelist, “Public Rights Offerings,” Disruptive Growth and Healthcare Conference, New York, NY, February 10–11, 2016.